Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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news
Ocasio-Cortez’s ‘Green New Deal’ Gains Big Backer, but Shows Signs of Falling Apart
The so-called Green New Deal gained a big backer Monday after Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., tossed his support behind the idea to create a committee centered around climate change. McGovern is propping up the idea first proposed by Rep.-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and backed by a slew of enthusiastic young environmentalists. However,… -
opinion
I’m a Jew. Here’s Why I Support Saying ‘Merry Christmas.’
Is “Merry Christmas” a thing of the past, a greeting from a bygone era, a remnant of a past with which we no longer want to be associated? We might not be there yet, but if current trends continue, we’re not far off. If so, it’s a shame, a further coarsening of the culture—and worse…. -
news
What Conservatives Think of Top Contenders and Wild Cards for Trump’s Next Chief of Staff
Some seasoned conservatives wonder if President Donald Trump’s choice of a chief of staff actually matters, and they suggest room for a wild card not on the widely reported short list. “Trump’s chief of staff doesn’t really matter. He’s going to do what he wants to do,” presidential historian Craig Shirley told The Daily Signal…. -
opinion
Congress Shouldn’t Prop Up Some Newspaper Companies at the Expense of Employee Pensions
In the name of “saving” community newspapers, Congress could allow a small group of newspaper companies to shortchange their workers out of at least $62 million in contributions to their promised pensions. Many local print newspapers are struggling to stay afloat in a predominantly online media world. As these papers look to cut costs, they’ve… -
news
Michigan Activists Lose Fight to Remove Display of 3 Wise Men From Public School Roof
A Michigan school board decided on Monday to keep Christmas decorations on top of the elementary school’s roof despite activists claiming the display is too religious. The three wise men, a biblical reference to Jesus Christ’s birth, are displayed on Newaygo Elementary School’s roof. The Michigan Association of Civil Rights Activists argued the Christmas display went against the separation of church… -
opinion
Don’t Believe the Scary Predictions From the National Climate Assessment
The most predictable thing about the climate these days is the sensationalism we see in the headlines. “The weather of Washington’s future: Hellish heat and high water,” The Washington Post wrote after the National Climate Assessment was released. “New U.S. climate assessment forecasts dire effects on economy, health,” said NPR. And not to be outdone,… -
opinion
The Scott Walker Years: Taxpayer-Centered Reforms in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wisconsin—As crowds swelled inside and outside the state Capitol and protesters sprayed Republicans with spit, insults, and hatred, Gov. Scott Walker could be forgiven for having a moment of pause, for asking himself if it was all worth it. Wisconsin’s public-sector unions were calling for Walker’s political head. Some wanted more. They threatened his… -
opinion
How Civility Can Pull Us Back From the Brink
Coming out of the bitterly-fought midterm elections, it’s easy to feel as though the United States has reached unprecedented levels of partisanship, but new research and lessons from our own history paint a different picture. The American people actually have more in common on issues that matter than many would believe. The disconnect stems from… -
opinion
Before Congress Adds More Judges, Let’s Fill the Current Vacancies
The 115th Congress is wrapping up its legislative business. What will the 116th bring? One likelihood is a bill to expand the federal judiciary. Here’s how Congress should handle it. Two months ago, retiring Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., introduced H.R.6755, the Judiciary Reforms, Organization and Operational Modernization Act of 2018. Title II… -
opinion
Major Media Outlets Do 180-Turnaround on George H.W. Bush After His Passing
Before George H.W. Bush fades from memory into the darkness of history books, one more point needs to be made. It is about the contrast between how most of the major media treated him when he was president and how they mostly (but not completely) did a 180 during their coverage and commentary of his… -
opinion
Not All in Prison Are Hardened Criminals. We Need to Offer Rehabilitation Possibilities.
What parent hopes their child will grow up to be a career criminal? What child dreams of one day living behind the bars of one of America’s 102 federal prisons? Going to prison is a nightmare, not a dream. And it’s become a terrible reality for many. Today, more than 2.4 million people are confined… -
opinion
Podcast: The New Conservative Media Empire
Jon Miller, the White House correspondent for the new Blaze Media, joins us to discuss the new venture’s reach and goals, as well as what it’s like covering the Trump White House as a conservative reporter. Plus: Daily Signal and Heritage producer Thaleigha Rampersad joins us to explain why she doesn’t think “It’s a Wonderful… -
news
What to Do About Pending Release of 1 in 4 Terrorism-Related Convicts
In the next five years, one-quarter of all those convicted of terrorism-related crimes in the U.S. will be released from prison, according to a new report from a former propagandist for radical jihadists who became a police official working in counterterrorism. The report from Jesse Morton, dubbed the “first former jihadi,” calls for the United… -
opinion
Happy Birthday, Jack! Twitter CEO Celebrates Turning 42 in a Country Engaged in Genocide
At 42, some people might celebrate their birthday at a backyard barbecue with friends, others might enjoy a night out on the town. A lucky few get to travel, squeezing the sand between their toes or getting bitten by frost in the French Alps. But if you’re Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, these sorts of celebrations… -
opinion
On Gender, the Science Is Deafening
Reading the headlines this week is like taking a trip to an alternate universe. Ten years ago, if you’d have said that in 2018 teachers would get fired for calling a girl a girl, most people wouldn’t have believed you. Unfortunately, that’s the ridiculous world Americans are waking up to every morning. But to most… -
news
‘Borderline Impossible’: Noted Scientist Tackles Sea Level Rise Alarmism
When it comes to alarming projections of global warming-induced sea level rise, veteran climate scientist Judith Curry says people need to cool it. “Projections of extreme, alarming impacts are very weakly justified to borderline impossible,” Curry told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Curry’s latest research, put together for clients of her consulting company near the end… -
opinion
What Faith-Based Efforts Can Do to Help Prevent Veteran Suicide
I don’t often quote sources from The New York Times, but in mid-November, David Brooks wrote a piece called “Fighting the Spiritual Void.” He stated without equivocation that “[t]rauma is a moral and spiritual issue as much as a psychological or chemical one.” He could not be more correct. The Heritage Foundation convened a panel… -
opinion
Pompeo Is Right on Sovereignty. His Council on Foreign Relations Critic Is Wrong.
Stewart Patrick of the Council on Foreign Relations didn’t much like Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s sovereignist speech on Dec. 4, and he lets you know it. In a rant titled “Tilting at Straw Men,” he faults Pompeo for being “disingenuous,” “selective and tendentious,” and “gratuitously” aggressive. It all came in a blog at the… -
opinion
We Hear You: How to ‘Wield the Most Effective Weapon Against Tyranny’
Editor’s note: We begin selections from the mailbag this week with a letter from a reader in Georgia that gets at why The Daily Signal exists. See for yourself. Be sure to write us at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Thanks to The Daily Signal and The Heritage Foundation for presenting articles such as Rob Bluey’s… -
opinion
Media Misses Mark on Heather Nauert’s D-Day Comment
Heather Nauert has her history right. The Washington Post and other media outlets have launched a lame effort to undermine President Donald Trump’s new nominee for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The best they could offer to ridicule Nauert, an undersecretary at the U.S. State Department, was a remark she made in June on…